EmailHospital Circular 10/2002
Date Issued: 17 May 2002
Publication: 10/2002
Distribution: Chief Executive Officers, Chief Finance Officers, Human Resources Directors, Public Hospitals & Health Services
Subject: 2002 Public Health Sector Enterprise Bargaining Rounds
Purpose: To seek your assistance in collating preliminary data to support development of negotiation strategy and costing for major enterprise bargaining rounds in 2002.
Background
The current enterprise agreements between hospitals and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation Victoria (ASMOF), the Health Services Union of Australia No. 1 Branch (HSUA-1) and the Health Services Union of Australia No.5 Branch (HSUA-5) expire in the middle of 2002.
ASMOF is in the process of serving its 2002 enterprise bargaining (EB) claim on employers. Claims from HSUA-1 and HSUA-5 are expected to be served on employers in the near future.
Preparation for EB Negotiations
The Department, the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association (VHIA) and a number of health service CEOs have been working together at a number of levels to prepare a negotiating position for both Government and employers for all 2002 EB rounds.
Both the Department and the VHIA are mindful that the development of a robust negotiating strategy for each of the major EB rounds this year. It is recognised that this will require a substantial amount of quality data regarding existing payments, conditions and employment arrangements.
Experience gained form other recent EB rounds, such as the Nurses, highlights the importance in having comprehensive data available at the outset of negotiations. This helps to ensure that negotiations are conducted on a well-understood and consistent base.
Data Request
With the above in mind, the Department, in consultation with the VHIA and CEOs, has developed a series of information templates for completion by public health sector employers. The templates seek to develop a database of information that will go to items expected to be highly relevant in negotiating the various claims.
The templates have been developed as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with the intention that all data can be returned and collated electronically. The data templates have been distributed by email to Chief Executive Officers and other public health agency staff as far as possible.
Every attempt has been made to keep the templates as simple and user friendly as possible. However, it is unavoidable that a significant amount of data will be necessary for this process, so I would ask for you support in ensuring that the templates are completed as fully and accurately as possible.
The templates have been designed to elicit data against award classifications/designations, rather than on a payroll or local classification basis. It is extremely important that data is provided in this fashion.
As far as possible, explanatory "comments" have been appended to data columns in the spreadsheets. This should help to simplify interpretations of what data is sought.
While every attempt has been made to capture all data that may be necessary to support negotiation and costing of the claims, if unexpected items are included in the final log of claims.
AMA Data Request (Excel File 84KB)
HSUA Data Reqest (Excel File 167KB)
Responses
You are asked to return completed information templates for your agency by no later than close of business on Friday 31 May 2002.
When responding to the Department, you are also asked to nominate a contact officer for your agency. This will help the Department to follow-up on any issues that may arise regarding the data your have provided, or if any additional information is required. If appropriate, you may nominate more than one contact officer (eg a separate contact for each of Doctors, HSUA-1 and HSUA-5).
Further Information
A workshop is being organised by the VHIA to allow hospitals and health services to discuss aspects of interpretation and process regarding the data request. This has tentatively been scheduled for Thursday 23 May 2002. However, I would urge you to commence data gathering immediately, rather than waiting until after the workshop to commence this exercise.
If you have any other queries relating to this request, or regarding the information templates, please contact Simon Chant on telephone (03) 9616 2583, or by email addressed to simon.chant@dhs.vic.gov.au.
Lance Wallace
Executive Director
Financial & Corporate Services
